Trashcan Sinatras - In the Music

[REDUX -- UPDATED for April 27 U.S. Release] Scotland simply seems to have a way with smart pop bands. From Travis to The Blue Nile to Belle and Sebastian to Snow Patrol to Del Amitri, the ability to meld a memorable melodic hook to a refined, but often scruffy, buskery sound must be in the water somewhere in Glasgow and surrounding towns. One of the best examples of the Scot/pop sound comes from one of the longest running and least heralded names: Trashcan Sinatras, a band that has delivered only four studio albums in nearly 20 years, but has made each one an exquisite, multi-faceted gem of delicious wordplay and thoughtful pop craftsmanship.

New album In The Music - their first since 2004's wonderful Weightlifting - finds the band in top form, their age serving to deliver some perfectly seasoned songs. Frontman Frank Reader, brother of chanteuse Eddi (another one of our faves) finds the right mix of brooding melancholy and spirited hope on songs such as the glistening single "People" (video after the jump) and their positively incandescent, waltzing tribute to Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett "Oranges and Apples". Released last summer in the U.K., In the Music finally makes its stateside appearance April 27. What might make it worth the wait? Eight bonus live tracks not on the original. Highly recommended.

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Trashcan Sinatras - "The Engine" (from the album In the Music)